Ravi Ranjan Goswami has been given the best Indian author Criticspace literary award 2021 for The Asht Yogis. Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
The Asht Yogis by Ravi Ranjan Goswami is the story of the fictional Guru Vishnudeva who has one goal: create a team of eight individuals who will become the Asht Yogis to help humanity in the darkest of times. Guru Vishnu trains the eight men himself and imparts his knowledge: eight special abilities that will help people in need. Learning the ashta siddhis from Guru Vishnu was the easy part; practicing these powers and using them for the betterment of people was the hard part. When tragedy strikes and chaos ensues, it is up to Paras, Shankara, Satveer, Nagarjuna, Arjun, Hanuman, Anupama, and Surajmukhi to act. Collectively they are the Asht Yogis, disciples of Guruji who will prepare them to become the leaders of the future.
This is a fast-paced and entertaining novella. The idea behind the story is incredibly interesting, something that not many authors have delved into. The concept of yoga is often a side trait of the characters in many novels, so reading a story with yoga at the heart of it is as fascinating and entertaining as you can expect and more. Guruji was a fantastic leader and a man that people naturally looked up to. The author did a great job of merging fiction with reality to drive the message home. Ravi Ranjan Goswami added twists and turns at the right moment, gave readers enough to make them want to read on, and allowed them to immerse themselves in the story. Out of all the Asht Yogis, Paras and Shankara were the two most invested, and they are the ones I felt a connection with the most. The narrative felt authentic with a deep knowledge of yoga and folklore. Really well done.
